The Decline of the Gupta Empire started throughout the time of Skandagupta’s rule. Tho’ Skandagupta had some nice military success against the Pushyamitra and also the Huns, the serious pressure and constant war had deeply ironed the resources of the Empire. The image of this monetary drain is testified from the debased coinage and lack of sort of coins throughout Skandagupta’s reign. The Gupta Empire was now not in its past glory.

The Gupta Kingdom was declining with the passage of his period it became weak and inefficient. Once the death of Skandagupta, Purugupta reigned for a shorter time, however, throughout this era the decline of the empire became more steady. Buddha Gupta, the last nice freelance empire of the family arrested the declining method of Gupta Empire for a few time, except for Western India he had no commendable influence whatever. Throughout this era the feudatories of the Bundelkhand region assumed semi-independent standing. The Vakataka invasion of Malwa reduced his authority therein region additionally. Once Buddha Gupta died the decline of the Gupta empire was more eminent and inside next 3 generations it succumbed all.

Main Cause for the Downfall of Gupta Empire:

The most necessary explanation for the downfall of the Gupta Empire was the dissention inside the house. Presumably, when the death of Kumar Gupta I, his sons fought among themselves for the throne. His second son Skandagupta ascended the throne by defeating his 2 alternative brothers, Purugupta and Ghatotkachagupta II. We discover another war of succession once when the death of Puru Gupta, the empire was just about divided among Bhanugupta within the west, Narasimha Gupta within the centre and Vinyagupta in Bengal within the east. After all our data regarding these wars of succession and its real extent are still miger for scarceness of adequate informations. Nevertheless, this is often true that these wars of successions had enormously weakened the hold of the central authority over the varied provinces and therefore the feudatories.

The second elementary explanation for the autumn of the Gupta Empire was the invasions of the Vakatakas of Deccan. Samudragupta’s victorious march into Deccan East left the Vakataka power of Western Deccan unhurt. The Vakatakas were the western neighbor of the Guptas and that they might simply place the empire in hassle by way of their geographical position. So as to avert of any doable clash with the Vakatakas Chandragupta II created a married alliance with them by giving wedding of her girl Prabhavati Gupta with the Vakataka king Rudrasena II. However, Chandragupta II’s successors maintained no peaceful relation with the Vakataka rulers. That was why throughout Budhagupta’s rule the Vakataka king Narendrasena invaded Malwa, Kosala, and Mekala. His invasion significantly weakened the authority of the Gupta Kingdom over the immense tract of Central Republic of India and Bundelkhand. In later years Vakataka king Harishena any conquered Malwa and Gujrat from the Imperial Guptas.

Similar blow was hurled over the Gupta Empire by the Huns invasion that heavily disturbed its stability. Throughout the rule of Skandagupta within the fifth century A.D., the Huns invaded the North-Western gate of Republic of India, however, they were overwhelmed back. However, in Sixth Century, they with success occupied Punjab, Gandhara, Gujarat and Malwa. Yasodharman of Mandasore initial defeated the Hun chief Mihirakula. Narasimha Gupta conjointly crushed the Hun power altogether. Although some historians tried to ascertain that the Hun invasion was the foundation reason for the downfall of the Gupta’s, Dr. R.C. Mazumdar denied acceptive the concept as a result of the Huns were altogether defeated by the Guptas. However, it can’t be denied that these Huns had greatly weakened the authority of the Gupta’s over the regions wherever they attacked. Their continual attack should have taxed the royal treasury too.

As the central authority became weaker day by day and as that revived foreign invasions that taxed on the royal treasury and military would possibly of the Gupta Empire, the feudatories and hereditary governors took the chance to declare native independence. This is often evident once Yasodharman created a sweeping conquest over the Northern Republic of India. This was so a death go by the Gupta Empire. the facility and status of the Gupta’s were shattered. Shortly Isanavarman of the Maukharis of U.P. revolted followed by the Maitrakas of Vallahi in Saurashtra. All of them became freelance rulers. There have been freelance chiefs in Southern, Western and eastern Bengal. The later Gupta’s rose to power in Magadha solely.

The later Gupta’s embraced Buddhism whereas their predecessors were staunch Hindus. The modification of faith had reflection over their political and military activities. It’s true as a result of the non-violent pacific influence of the Buddhism the late Gupta’s failed to care to follow a powerful and vigorous military and policy. The shortage of militant spirit of the later Gupta’s merely sealed the bottom for the unscrupulous enemies and powerful feudatories to hit arduous the dying Gupta Empire. The Gupta Kingdom was on the declining trend.

Narasimha Gupta and his successors dominated in diminished glory in Magadha, Northern Bengal and a part of Kalinga. We aren’t nonetheless terribly positive specifically once and the way the Gupta empire breathed its last. However, the Maukharis ultimately overthrew the Gupta rule from Magadha, typically in or regarding 554 A.D.